SUMMIT COUNTY, Ohio — The Humane Society of Summit County urges overwhelmed pet owners to reach out for help after recently rescuing 15 dogs from horrible living conditions.
“It was not a living situation for the dogs let alone a human being,” said Humane Officer Harley Slawinski.
A short time ago, Slawinski said she received a complaint from neighbors who reported a foul smell near their home and feared that some dogs had been abandoned.
When Slawinski arrived, she said she found more than a dozen dogs living with no signs of food or water, crates filled with urine and feces and one dog with blood on his paws.
“The house was absolutely deplorable. The dogs were running around in their fecal waste. Some were just ribs and spines showing,” said Slawinski.
Eventually, Slawinski said she came in contact with the owner, who told Slawinski she didn’t think her dogs needed to be rescued.
“I told her that if she refuses to cooperate with me because she didn’t want me to go in the trailer that I was going to have to get a warrant and seize them and she ended up changing her story and said that she needed help,” said Slawinski.
Now, 14 of the 15 dogs have a new home—except for Dallas.
Meanwhile, Slawinski said the owner is facing severe consequences for her actions.
“This was a situation where this person could have also called us. We offer resources, and sometimes they don’t ask, and that’s a big issue here,” said Slawinski.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, Kristin Branagan, Director of Operations, encourages pet owners to reach out to the Humane Society for resources.
“We have MABLE, which is our vet clinic which goes to low-income neighborhoods all throughout Summit County and offer no-cost vet services,” said Branagan.
Branagan added that there are options to surrender, but she said everything is situational when it comes to potential criminal charges.
Meantime, for those who see a pet owner struggling, she said it’s best to build a trusting relationship to help them have a resource.
But if they refuse to cooperate, Branagan said the Humane Society has an advantage over other shelters in Summit County to investigate.
“If they are not advocating for the animals in their homes, somebody has to,” said Branagan.
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